When the old family car was like a friend
It was another red light among thousands. Three lanes heading in my direction. I sighed to a stop in the middle one. Then I looked to my left. There, huffing and snorting like the relic it was, I spied a 1978 Ford station wagon. The wagon was red over black. Its rear gate was slightly ajar — probably the result of a fender bender. Its hood was slightly bent — maybe the result of a ... READ MORE
The ties that bind never lose their import
Spring cleaning is usually a major bore and a major chore. Find a large plastic trash bag. Head for the main closet. Identify t-shirts and socks that no human being ever will (or ever should) wear again. Stuff the stuff into the bag. Repeat. And then head for Amvets or Goodwill, drop it all off, feel virtuous, go home. But this past spring, the ritual annual purge brought me up... READ MORE
Learning what counts from ex-teachers
It’s a snazzy retirement party that a very good friend is tossing for herself. She has ordered grape leaves, hummus and lots of very good French wine. She deserves all of it. She has been dragging out of bed at 5 a.m. for nearly 20 years as a public school teacher in the Washington suburbs. She says her head hurts, her feet hurt, call her tomorrow and probably something... READ MORE
Mourning the loss of old-time baseball
Three cheers for spring. I’ve been through many of them — some would say too many — and for most of those years, this young man’s fancy didn’t turn only to love. When April arrived, baseball arrived. All together now…“Take me out to the ball game…Take me out with the crowd…” Ah, the crack of the bat. Ah, the umpires who would screech, “Yerrrr out!” Ah, those ... READ MORE
A call to action by all drivers
My friend Ted is a solid citizen and a dutiful sort. He pays his taxes on time. He does the family grocery shopping cheerfully. When his 90-something parents need something, Ted arranges it, even though he and they live 1,500 miles apart. But sometimes your true nature pops out at moments when you don’t have time to think about it. So it went for Ted one recent evening. He was... READ MORE
Up and raring to go at the crack of dawn
It was 8 a.m. on the East Coast. I was poised over my computer keyboard, stuck for an answer to a student’s question. So I picked up the phone and called the guy who would know — a former colleague from ages ago who had become an expert in the appropriate field. He answered on the first ring. “Didn’t wake you, did I?,” I asked. “Are you kidding?,” he replied. ... READ MORE
Oh, the joys of grandparenting! And yet…
Out comes his smartphone. He scrolls, scrolls, scrolls. Finally, he gurgles with pleasure. There she is on the screen — his first grandchild, a continent away in Seattle, but front and center in his life. I gurgle along with him. Yes, she sure is beautiful. Yes, oh, yes, she clearly looks like the grandfather who is holding the phone. But what I’m really noticing is how jealous ... READ MORE
Why tall = small, and other conundrums
Sometimes, dear friends, we are plunged into modern-day situations that are so absurd, so illogical, so incomprehensible, so inexplicable, that all we can do is throw up our hands. So it went with me one recent morning at my neighborhood Starbucks. I had agreed to meet a friend there to give her some career advice. I was early. She wasn’t there yet. So I decided to buy a cup of... READ MORE
A 94-year-old American hero looks back
It’s about the size of a small pancake. It hangs around the man’s neck on a ribbon. “I use a lot of Brasso on it,” he jokes. He must, because it shines. And so does he. Hershel “Woody” Williams is 94 years old. He is one of 464 American soldiers to have received the Medal of Honor for extraordinary service during World War II. Only four survive. Williams is the oldest.... READ MORE
